Trapped
by Cosmic Angel
Summary: Ginny Weasley wants a new diary... and an old one wants her. (Gin'n'Toxin)
1. Part One

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter and all related objects belong to JK Rowling and her merry band of publishers, NOT me.

**A/N:** Written for an 'End of year' challenge on Fawkes Ashes. The challenge is to write:

Either:  
1) A fic set on the last day of the 7th Year  
or  
2) A fic set on the last day of the 6th Year  
  
The fic must include at least two of the following events:  
A student becomes a member of the staff   
A current staff member retires  
A couple get married  
Core characters (Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville etc) begin/are about to begin new jobs  
A couple begin a family

I fitted in three. See if you can spot them!

This will be a three-part fic, with the last part uploaded July 15th to meet the challenge deadline. It's rated PG-13 for angst and death, so be warned, it's a Gin'n'Toxin. Thank you to my many Betas: Cyropi, Twisting Daisies, Polaris the Ice Queen and SycoCallie.

And finally, enjoy!

* * *

_Red sky at night, wizard's delight_

_Red sky in the morning, witch's warning..._

* * *

The sun rose early, turning the dark, cloudy sky a magnificent shade of red and chasing away the shadows of the night. The scattered, heavy clouds were tinted a brilliant orange, forgetting their promise of rain and storms to bask in the reflected glory of the sun. Delicate rays bounced off the windows of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and slowly, and very reluctantly, the school woke up. Sunrise was over within what seemed like seconds, and the few students who had stayed to watch one of their last sunrises at Hogwarts sighed miserably as the sky returned to a bleak grey, the clouds looming ominously over the castle and grounds.

The Gryffindor Tower was especially sombre that morning, as the seventh years woke to face their last week in the school, and the rest of the Gryffindors got up to the realization that they would be losing their favourite - and most famous - classmates.

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were sitting around a small table, each staring sadly at the pile of parchment in the centre.

'We won't need this any more,' said Hermione, her voice thick with misery. 'All that work, and we won't need our notes after all.'

'Cheer up, Hermione,' said Harry, his voice just as sad. 'We'll still see each other.'

'All the time, if I can help it,' added Ron gently, his Head Boy badge shining as the common room lit up. "Mum's said you're all welcome to come stay at the Burrow whenever you want."

'And I'll be moving to a flat of my own, so there'll always be a room for you.' Harry's face lit up as he remembered, for the umpteenth time that morning, that he would no longer suffer with the Dursleys over his summer. His piercing green eyes danced with excitement, and staring at those eyes, neither of his friends could stay sad.

'Just think, I won't really be leaving!' Hermione said, cheering up slightly. 'I'll just be living somewhere else in the school, that's all.'

'I still can't _believe_ that McGonagall took you on.' Ron straightened up in his chair and ran a hand through his messy red hair. 'I thought she'd never have an apprentice. She's _always_ been at Hogwarts. An apprentice means she'll be leaving soon.'

'I thought she had a Philosopher's Stone stashed away, so that she never had to stop teaching,' grinned Harry. The mention of the Philosopher's Stone cast a spell of nostalgia over the trio, and they sat in silence, each lost in their own memories of the labyrinth leading up to the Stone.

'That was some bloody brilliant flying,' said Ron reflectively. Harry snorted.

'You could never do that even now, mate.'

'Hah! I could out-fly you any day, Potter. That's why _I'm_ going on to professional Quidditch and _you're_ going to be an Auror. You haven't got the flair to make it big.'

'You dare say that to me, the one and only Boy Who Lived?' Harry affected an injured, incredulous tone, and Hermione shot him a warning glare.

'I dare!' said Ron with a grin, effectively throwing down the gauntlet. Harry, aware that they were now the centre of attention, pushed back his chair and stood haughtily.

'You, sir, have offended my honour!' he announced loudly. 'I challenge you to a duel!'

'I accept!' The second the words left his mouth, Ron launched himself forward, tackling Harry to the floor. A group of second year girls, who had been standing and watching the Golden Trio admiringly, screamed as Harry and Ron launched into the middle of them, wrestling each other. The tousled black hair and the equally messy redhead moved around the floor as Ron held Harry in a headlock, Harry had Ron's arm twisted uncomfortably, both were gently trying to make the other submit.

'Honestly!' After watching them for a few moments, Hermione got to her feet, reaching for where her wand lay next to her Head Girl badge, and marched over to the two boys. 'Stop it now, or I'll Stun you!'

The two stopped, staring up at Hermione with panic evident on their faces. 'Sorry Hermione,' they muttered, standing up and towering over their short friend.

'Sorry! You'll be more than sorry, Ronald Weasley! What sort of example is that to set for the younger years! You're Head Boy, you could at least try to act like it! And as for _you_, Harry Potter,' she added, turning to the sniggering boy. 'You're Quidditch Captain! In a position of equal respect and importance, and you set an abysmal standard! I'm thoroughly _ashamed_ of you!' Finally running out of breath, Hermione resorted to folding her arms and glaring at the boys. They glanced at each other warily.

'Come on Hermione,' said Harry hesitantly, the first to speak. 'It's the last week _ever_. There'll be someone to set a better example next year.'

'Besides, you're sounding scarily like Mum,' commented Ron. Hermione shot him another glare, before throwing her arms up in the air, resigned.

'Alright, fine. If you don't have any respect for your surroundings and fellow students, be my guest. Roll around on the carpet like a pair of three-year-olds for as long as you like. _I'm_ going to start packing.' She stamped her foot, emphatically making her point, and marched off to the girl's dormitories.

'Bloody hell, mate.' Ron straightened his robes and badge. 'She's in a foul mood, isn't she?'

'She's sad to be leaving, that's all.' Harry grinned at the girls that they had scared, and sat back down. 'She lives in a Muggle household, remember?'

'She can always come stay with us,' shrugged Ron, wincing as indistinct shouts came from the stairs leading to the dorms, and sunk under the table as a door slammed. Footsteps were heard coming down the stairs, and Ginny came into the common room.

'Alright, Gin?' asked Harry, giving Ron a kick. 'It's only Ginny, Ron.'

'Only Ginny?' Ron's head reappeared. 'Oh, right. You don't happen to know what mood Hermione's in, do you?'

Ginny's eyes narrowed. 'The same mood as I ought to be in now!' she fumed, and stalked off. They heard the Fat Lady's comment, 'You _are_ in a tizzy, aren't you dear?' and stared at each other.

'Women,' they said simultaneously, shrugging.

* * *

'_Only_ Ginny!' the red headed Gryffindor fumed as she seated herself at the Ravenclaw table. 'Only!'

'Good morning Ginevra,' said a dreamy voice beside her. Luna Lovegood's large eyes appeared over a copy of _Magical Me_. 'Did you know that Gilderoy Lockhart makes several references to the Flame-Tongued Snorkleback in his books?'

'No, but I know he's a bloody useless Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.' Ginny helped herself to some of Luna's breakfast, nibbling hungrily on a slice of toast. 'About as useless as that blasted brother of mine.'

'What has Ronald said now?' Luna placed a quill in the book to mark her page, and set it down. Her earrings, scarily similar to Bill's fang earring, tangled themselves in her dirty blonde hair.

'Oh, what hasn't he said?' snapped Ginny irritably, not wanting to discuss her brother any further than she had to. Luna blinked, slowly.

'Ronald hasn't said many things, Gine-'

'Luna, I've known you long enough for you to start calling me Ginny.'

'Ginny.' Luna said the name with an eerie monotony, and despite herself, Ginny shivered. 'What has happened between you and Ronald?'

'It's his last week here!' said Ginny angrily, as if Luna wasn't there. 'And do you think he could be nice to me? No! This morning, he and Harry drove Hermione into _such_ a temper, you wouldn't have believed it, Luna- well, maybe _you_ would have, but then when I come into the common room, I get greeted with, "It's only Ginny". Only!' Ginny spat the word out as if it were venom. 'What sort of greeting is that?'

'Perhaps they meant it endearingly.'

'Perhaps they want a Bat-Bogey Hex,' growled Ginny. 'They come into Hogwarts, turn everything upside down, give me a huge example to live up to if I want Mum to be happy, and then have the gall to treat me as if I don't exist!'

There was silence, as several other Ravenclaws edged away from the angry girl.

'_The Quibbler_ has an article on Thestrals,' said Luna vaguely. Ginny stared at her friend.

'What does that have to do with anything?' she asked incredulously. Luna picked up her copy of _Magical Me_ and opened it.

'Buy a diary,' she said indistinctly, picking up her quill. 'It may succeed in releasing your anger at Ronald.'

Ginny blinked, her anger dissipating to be replaced by shock. 'Luna, remember our first year here? Remember Tom Riddle's diary? The murders? The possession? The basilisk?'

'So?' Luna peered over the book. 'Not every diary is inhabited by the spirit of a sixteen-year-old Dark Lord, and not every diary is going to possess you. Every diary, however, is home to several thousand Spined Globberworms.' Luna gave Ginny a warning glance. 'According to _The Quibbler_, Globberworms are among the most dangerous of microscopic creatures.'

Ginny stood slowly, digesting what Luna had said. In between the bouts of random nonsense that she had come to expect, there was some good advice.

'I'll see you later, Luna,' she said, walking slowly out of the Great Hall. Luna said nothing, and studiously turned back a page in _Magical Me._

Above them, the enchanted ceiling started to rain.

* * *

'A diary?' Hermione watched Ginny suspiciously as the younger girl paced the dormitory. Parvati and Lavender were out with Padma and Hannah Abbott, leaving two of the beds in a mess. Ginny pushed aside a pile of robes and sat down.

'Yes. A diary.' Ginny's calm brown eyes showed none of the turmoil inside. Half of her was screaming _nonsense, you don't want a diary, remember what happened last time?_ and this was evidently what was going through Hermione's mind.

'I thought that if I came to you,' she continued placidly, raising her voice over the noise of the rain from Hermione's open window, 'then you would make sure it was safe for me. That way, I can't get into any problems like I did in my first year.'

'Well...' Hermione bit her lip, her bushy hair falling into her face as she hesitated. '... Alright. I'll Transfigure something into a diary for you. I'll put some spells on it to, so you don't have to worry about privacy. Is that alright?'

'Thanks Hermione!' Ginny hugged her friend enthusiastically. 'I knew I could count on you.'

'You're welcome,' smiled Hermione, her eyes darkening with worry. 'I'll find you as soon as I've made it.'

'I'll probably be studying with Luna,' said Ginny, picking up her bag. 'We need to get started on our holiday homework.'

'That's the spirit!' Hermione's smile widened. 'Ron would do well to take a leaf out of your book.'

'He's going on to play Quidditch, Hermione. He won't ever need to sit a test again, _and_ he'll be famous.' Ginny smiled thinly, veiling her nerves at facing the next year.

'It's lucky for him, then.' Hermione folded her hands primly and pursed her lips. 'Make sure you don't follow his example, Ginny. Studying at the last moment is never as beneficial as weeks of revision beforehand.'

'And he still made Head Boy.' Ginny shook her head. 'Unbelievable. He's broken just about every rule in the book.' She turned to leave.

'So have I,' said Hermione quietly from behind her. 'The trick is to not get caught.' Ginny turned her head, and the older girl winked slyly at her. Shaking her head, Ginny left the room and entered her own dorm further down the stairs. _Soon, I'll have an outlet for everything. I should really go and thank Luna. _ Deciding that this would be her next move, she hunted for her cloak, swung it over her shoulders, and headed down out of the Common Room and across the grounds to where she knew Luna would be.

* * *

'A _diary_? What does she want a diary for?' Ron pushed aside a pile of robes to allow Hermione room to sit down.

'Every girl needs a diary, Ron. But Ginny's never had one before, not after Riddle's diary, and I wondered if you knew what had made her change her mind.' Hermione perched on the end of Ron's bed and drew her knees up, hugging them tightly. The room was dark and miserable, the windows clouded and streaked with rain.

Harry, from his seat on his own bed, sighed and pushed his glasses further up his nose. 'Maybe she just needs to get over it,' he said lamely. 'She went through hell in that year. She'll never get over it properly, but maybe by having a diary of her own, one that won't possess her and set basilisks on people, she'll be able to get some sort of closure.'

'You sound like a psychology textbook,' commented Hermione, laughing as Harry blushed. 'But I understand.'

'I don't. What's psychology?' Ron looked from one worried face to the other, his own expression completely blank.

'It's a Muggle thing, Ron. It'd take too long to explain.' Harry grinned broadly, trying to hide his concern for Ginny. 'Besides, it's just somewhere for her to write. Why are we making such a fuss? Riddle's diary is gone, destroyed, and if there were any more evil books lurking around Hogwarts, they'd probably have tried to attack us by now.'

Hermione buried her head in her arms, and despite the warmth of the room, shivered.

'Keep an eye on her Ron, won't you? I don't want anything to happen to Ginny,' she ordered weakly. 'I'll make her a diary now... and I hope I'm doing the right thing.'

* * *

'What are we looking for again?' Ginny straightened and gathered her hair up, using a small spell to hold it away from her face. Luna looked up from where she was half-buried in the earth of Greenhouse Four, dirt smeared across her cheek, and picked some grass from her tangled hair.

'A Moke,' she said seriously, her eyes fixed on the wall behind Ginny. 'It's a lizard.'

'It is?' Ginny stared at the mound of earth that she had been searching through. 'So why are we looking _in_ the ground?'

'It can shrink at will,' informed Luna, blinking slowly. 'It could be any size. It's silver-green in colour.'

'And _why_ do we want one?' asked Ginny, exasperated.

'To study.' Luna gave a small sigh and a smile, before returning to her digging. Ginny shook her head and reached for a trowel.

'I asked Hermione to Transfigure me a diary,' she said casually, ignoring the speed at which her heart started beating at those words. Fear coursed through her, but she suppressed it, stabbing the trowel into the ground.

'Are you frightened?' A direct question from Luna, and one as perceptive as that, was enough to shock Ginny into answering immediately.

'Yes. I'm petrified.' Ginny pushed the trowel further into the earth and broke a large clump of soil away. 'The last time I had a diary, it almost killed me, my friends, put my family in danger... Does Professor Sprout know we're in here?'

'I asked for permission.' Luna picked a small rock up and pocketed it. 'Do you believe you are in danger from _this_ diary?'

'No. Yes. I don't know- Luna, why on earth are you keeping those rocks?'

'The Moke will need items around it that reflect its natural habitat.' Luna pulled her wand from where it was stuck behind her ear, and started counting the rocks with it.

'The Moke isn't going to possess you and kill people, is it?' asked Ginny bitterly. 'Most girls have normal diaries. _I_ get dead people talking to me.'

'I imagine it was nice,' said Luna slowly, examining an uprooted plant.

'Nice? Luna, I was waking up with most of my memories of the day before missing, to find out that someone else had been paralysed. I can still remember lying in the Chamber of Secrets, seeing _him_ come out of the diary, seeing him-' Ginny buried her head in her hands. Luna watched with mild interest as Ginny's shoulders shook with effort as she suppressed her shrieks of anger and fear.

'But it was nice to have someone comfort you and talk back.' Luna tilted her head to one side, her dreamy grey eyes reminiscent of the Divination professor's. 'Wasn't it?'

Ginny nodded, not lifting her head. 'Yes. Yes, it was. He showed me things from his time, he showed me himself, he made me like him, he made me... he made me kill Hagrid's chickens, he made me release the basilisk. I didn't want to keep talking to him!'

Luna reached out and rested a hand on Ginny's shoulder comfortingly. 'Every girl has a crush at some point,' she commented. 'There's a Moke.'

'What? Where?' Ginny spun around, and spotted the small, silvery movement against the earth. Luna's first words sunk in, and she turned her head back to the Ravenclaw, who was stealthily reaching out to the lizard. 'A _crush_?'

'Yes.' Luna closed her hand around a fistful of earth, and deposited it into her lap. 'Here's the Moke,' she said, as a silver streak in the earth grew and became recognizable as a lizard. 'A crush.'

'I did _not_ have a crush on Tom Riddle!' insisted Ginny a little too loudly, startling the Moke. Luna picked it up and stared into the reptilian eyes with curiosity.

'We should put it with its rocks,' she said placidly, and reached into her robes to find a jar. 'I can take it back to the common room then.'

'I'm sure the other girls will love you for it,' glared Ginny, standing and dusting herself off. 'As much as I loved crawling around in the dirt looking for it,' she added, with an unnecessary amount of sarcasm.

'It was fun,' said Luna with a rare smile. 'We should clean ourselves up. If we don't, then the Crinkled Cawlocks will come and eat our nails.' Luna deposited the Moke and the rocks into the jar and left the greenhouse, not noticing Ginny's sceptical stare.

'Hello Luna!' Ginny saw a figure adorned with a Gryffindor scarf running across, trying to prevent herself from getting soaked by the rain. 'Have you seen Ginny?'

'Good morning Hermione Granger. Ginevra is in Greenhouse Four. Remind her about the Crinkled Cawlocks.'

Ginny could hear Hermione falter, and smiled at Hermione's quick recovery. 'Of course I'll remind her. Thank you, Luna.' Ginny heard running footsteps, and then Hermione's loud gasp for air as she entered the dry greenhouse. 'That girl is _weird_.'

'Luna's alright.' Ginny dusted off her cloak and swung it around her shoulders. 'Were you looking for me?'

'Yes. I've finished your diary.' Ginny turned and saw Hermione clutching a small parcel. 'I've cast some privacy charms on it, so if anyone else tries to read it, it'll hex them. Are you sure you're alright?' Hermione's face was worried, her run having brought a flush to her cheeks. Ginny smiled.

'I'm fine. Thank you so much.' Ginny took the parcel from Hermione's hands. 'Are you going back to the Common Room?'

'No, I've got to make arrangements with Professor McGonagall. Do you mind if I walk back part of the way with you?' Hermione rubbed her hands together, trying to warm them.

'Be my guest. I can tell you how I ended up playing Hunt the Moke with Luna.' Ginny pocketed the package - her new diary, she thought with a slight chill - and led the way out of the Greenhouse.

'A Moke? Did you find one? They're used quite often for purses, aren't they?'

'Purse? What's that?'

'A Muggle thing. What most wizards and witches call a moneybag...' Hermione's explanation trailed off as the two girls made their way swiftly back to the castle.

* * *

The cover stared up at her, dark red, with her name in gold writing. _Ginny Weasley_. It reminded her of a Muggle program that she had seen once, when visiting Hermione. _This Is Your Life_.

Ginny stared at it from her seat at the opposite end of the bed. The diary didn't move.

_It's not going to hurt you._ She reached out shakily, pushing back memories from her first year, and grasped the diary.

Nothing happened.

'Oh stop being so melodramatic!' snapped Ginny, scolding herself. She pulled the diary to her and opened it. The parchment crackled, clean and new. Reaching for an eagle feather quill - a present from Dean when they had split, to promise to stay on good terms - she started writing.

_Hello. My name is Ginevra Molly Weasley. I'm a witch._

The writing shone as it dried, but nothing happened. Ginny heaved a sigh of relief, and carried on writing.

_This is the second time I've had a diary. The first time didn't work out so well._ She paused and stared, making sure that there was no invisible spirit reading her words.

_The first time, I wrote in a diary belonging to Tom Marvolo Riddle. It was inhabited by his sixteen-year-old spirit. His current name is Lord Voldemort. He possessed me, abusing my trust in him, and used me to set a basilisk on the students. At the end of my first year in Hogwarts, the magical school I'm in, he almost killed me. I was saved by Harry Potter._

_Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. He survived the Killing Curse when he was a baby. He destroyed Voldemort's power, and gave us fourteen years of freedom before Voldemort came back._

_Harry is best friends with my brother, Ron. He spends every summer at our house. They do everything together - them and Hermione. Hermione Granger is the smartest witch in the school. She's Head Girl. Ron's Head Boy, and Harry is Quidditch Captain._

_They're leaving Hogwarts this year, and I have to live up to them. They're my friends, Ron's my brother - I feel that I have to be as good as them, to make Mum proud._

_All of my brothers have done well. Bill was Head Boy, Charlie was an incredible Quidditch Player, Percy was Head Boy. Fred and George have set up their own business, and are making lots of money. Ron's Head Boy._

_I'm a Prefect, and I'm on the Quidditch team as a Chaser, but I doubt I'll make it to Head Girl, or Captain. We'll be lost without Harry and Ron, and Hermione is the best Head Girl ever. The three of them can almost read each others' minds - they've been through so much together, and it's made them unbeatable. Definitely unsurpassable. How am I meant to live up to them? How can I make Mum proud?_

Ginny paused, and tapped her chin with the quill thoughtfully. The diary was working. She was writing things that she hadn't realised she felt.

'Do I really resent Harry and Ron and Hermione that much?' she wondered aloud. 'Or is it just that...' She put the quill to paper.

_All three of them have faced Voldemort. All three of them have survived. Harry has fought him at least once every year since coming to Hogwarts. They're strong, they can make it._

_I've encountered him twice. The first time, it was his spirit, and he almost killed me. The second time was in the Department of Mysteries, when I got injured and couldn't fight and help Harry._

_I feel so useless because of that. Voldemort is a very real threat to all of us, and I can't fight for myself._

_Part of that is because of what happened five years ago. I saw the teenage Tom. I got a crush on him. And now... every time someone says Voldemort, I see the young, handsome Tom Riddle that I liked, and it makes me feel vulnerable again, as if Tom is there in front of me, laughing, and I'm dying in the Chamber of Secrets._

_This diary isn't as much comfort as his was. With his, I had someone to talk to, someone who could give me advice and help me. I wonder if it would still do that? The last time I saw it, it had a gaping hole in the middle._

_At least Tom has gone from it now. If only he could go from my life... I still wake up screaming, dreaming that Harry didn't get to me in time, that Harry was killed in the Chamber, that I killed Ron and Hermione, and my family... he's haunting my every waking moment, and my every dream._

_I wonder if it would help me to see the diary? Maybe, maybe if I knew he had gone from it, and wasn't a danger, I could move on._

_I wonder..._

* * *

Part two to be uploaded soon! :) If you enjoyed, drop me a review and let me know :)


	2. Part Two

**Disclaimer:** Same as last chapter. I don't own any of the Jabberwocky references, either.

Here's part two! One part left before the story's finished Exciting, isn't it? More of the challenge criteria were slipped into this chapter too.

As ever, thanks to my wonderful betas (who were listed in the first chapter) and go read their work! (After you read this, of course :P)

**Thanks for reviewing: **s.s.harry, Lady Riddle, yaukira, paradox01. You're all fabulous.

Paradox: Harry can't be Head Boy. He wasn't made a prefect, so unless the Hogwarts system works differently to normal British system, he can't be Head Boy :P But it does make more sense for Ron to be Quidditch Captain. But in OotP, he sucked. So ... well. Yeah.

Anything that Ginny says that isn't canonically correct is simply because she's exaggerating because she admires Harry so. And because it's easier to say 'once a year' than 'once every year except for his third, my second.'

Side pairings? Don't think so. Cookies for you for guessing right

* * *

Ginny tapped her fingers idly along the desk. The rain that had burst from the heavens on the weekend had stopped, and the ceiling of the Great Hall was a perfect blue. Beside her, Luna was prodding the Moke.

'It seems to be suffering from the snicker-snack,' she said idly, as the Moke closed its eyes. 'It hasn't moved.'

'Luna, it's a lizard. They tend to be slow anyway, and this one probably doesn't like being trapped. Why don't you take it to Hagrid if you're concerned?' asked Ginny, not trying to hide her irritation. Luna's earrings, two Dungbombs, swung furiously as Luna shook her head.

'Why are you hiding under the table?' she asked curiously, as Ginny peered fearfully at Luna's ears. 'The Moke won't hurt you.'

'Why do you have Dungbombs on your ears?' asked Ginny, her throat dry. She reached for some pumpkin juice as Luna smiled secretively.

'The way of Zonko's is a mystery to all.'

'I'm sure it is.' Ginny propped her head up on her hands and stared at the wall as Luna returned to examining the Moke.

_Tom._

Unbidden, his name returned to her mind again. Her diary was already filled with entries describing him - what she loved, what she hated, what she wanted. _I love him. I hate him. I want to know he's gone._

Hermione's work had paid off - Ginny had spent hours describing her life, the pressure she faced, the standard she had to meet. Her friends, family, foes... all were written down inside the red book that she carried around everywhere.

Oh Hermione was still concerned, she could see that, but as Monday had drawn to a close, she had sought out the company of the Head Girl to reassure her, and Hermione, in turn, had reassured Harry and Ron. Now, apart from the occasional furtive glance, she was free of their worry.

Today they were missing from the dinner table... Ron had mentioned a trip to Hogsmeade, hadn't he? Of course, she had been writing in her diary at the time, but he had definitely mentioned an unofficial trip to say goodbye to their favourite haunts in the magical village.

'He is definitely suffering from the snicker-snack,' announced Luna. 'I shall need to find some spines from the Opuntia.'

'Can you find them from Professor Sprout?' asked Ginny, motioning towards where the Herbology professor was leaving the Great Hall.

'Perhaps, unless they've been eaten by the Vorporals.' Luna gently picked up the Moke, slid it back into its jar, and wandered slowly after Professor Sprout.

Ginny put her head down on the table and sighed. _Luna is certifiably batty,_ she thought, smiling briefly. She had written that down in her diary, a long description of Luna, and the many loony things she had done.

And the fact that Luna was the only person she knew who actually _understood_ what had happened with Tom's diary, and in the Chamber.

Once again, Ginny's thoughts returned to the Chamber of Secrets. _This is driving me crazy,_ she had written. _I have to get him out of my head. If this is how Harry lives, it's a miracle that he's still sane. All I can think of is _that _diary and how it ruined my life. No one has been able to look at me in the same way since; no one who knows, anyway. It may just be paranoia, but I'm sure it's not... I have to see the diary, I have to know that Tom is gone for good._

Her gaze scanned the other house tables, and fixed on the one on the opposite end of the Great Hall. The Slytherins.

Slytherins...

Hadn't Lucius Malfoy last been seen with Riddle's diary?

Ginny got to her feet and nonchalantly strolled outside. _Just like the diary did in first year,_ she wrote later on, _it seemed like a good idea at the time._

* * *

'... and so Father was most displeased, and sent Lestrange around every Floo port she had visited in the past week in an attempt to find the money!' Draco Malfoy's incredulous voice drew roars of laughter from what the filthy Gryffindors had termed the "Young Death Eater Society." Pansy sighed, looking around the table. This was her last year here... three more days, and she would never sit at the Slytherin table again.

As Blaise was next to launch into a story concerning a house-elf and a rogue sock, Draco broke away from the group and sat down next to Pansy.

'Parkinson,' he said in acknowledgement. Pansy nodded her head slightly.

'Malfoy,' she said in a bored tone. 'What can I do for you?'

'You weren't paying attention,' he said, an accusing undercurrent to his otherwise indifferent tone. Pansy shrugged.

'It's our last week here. Less than a week. I want to remember everything.'

'And you don't want to remember your housemates?' Draco lifted his hand to his head and smoothed back a wayward strand of his platinum hair. 'We're like your family, Pansy.'

'I was just thinking,' said Pansy with a small smile. 'That's all. Besides, I'm sure that Lucius would have informed all of our parents as to his triumph over Lestrange.'

'For something as rare as that, I'm sure he would have.' Draco smirked. 'Bellatrix Lestrange is a formidable woman. Would you like to have what she has?'

'What, bad hair, a spell in Azkaban, and a near obsession with the Dark Lord?' Pansy shook her head vehemently as Draco stifled a laugh. 'No. But... I would like her power,' she confessed hesitantly.

'Someday, I'm sure you'll have it.' Draco smiled condescendingly. 'But a good way to begin is to listen to people as influential as I am amongst the next generation of Death Eaters.'

'Oh sod off, Draco.' Pansy got up haughtily. 'I'll get any power I want on my own. I'm stronger than you could ever imagine, Draco Malfoy, and if you don't stop being such an arrogant prat, I'll show you just how many Dark hexes I know!' She stormed off, fuming as Draco and his goons burst out laughing.

'Bloody idiots!' she hissed under her breath, emerging from the castle's main entrance out onto the grounds. The air was warm, and judging from the lack of students on the grounds, many of them could not withstand the heat. Smirking at their inferiority, she crossed the grounds, only stopping when she heard footsteps behind her. She fingered her wand, and spun around, jabbing it fiercely into the air.

'_Expelliarmus!_' cried the person behind her, and Pansy gaped as her wand flew through the air, to be caught neatly by Ginny Weasley.

'Weasley, give me back my wand now, and I won't have to hurt you.' Pansy felt bored. Draco had made her agitated, and now she wanted to hurt something, to show how much power she truly had... 'Well. Maybe not as much.'

'But Parkinson, I have your wand,' said Ginny coolly, a steely glint in her brown eyes, and Pansy shivered, despite the warmth of the day. 'However,' continued the Gryffindor, 'you can help me get something I want.'

'I'd never help a Gryffindor,' spat Pansy. 'Now give me my wand, or I'll resort to Muggle violence.'

'How would you like to try that after a Bat-Bogey Hex?'

Pansy knew her face was red with anger. She knew her fists were clenched and her teeth were grinding together, reminiscent of how she'd enjoy grinding all Weasleys into the dirt beneath her Pureblood feet...

She knew that Weasley was famous for her hexes, particularly the Bat-Bogey Hex. She also knew that Weasley knew much worse hexes. Bats would only be the start.

'What do you want?' she asked finally, filing this incident away under _Vengeance for humiliation_. Ginny Weasley would pay. Not now, no, of course not. Let her grow, let her start a family, let her enjoy seeing them all die before she, Pansy, exacted her final revenge.

_Now I know why Bellatrix is so obsessed. The Dark Lord is right. Only Purebloods are worthy, not Muggle-lovers such as the Weasleys. We will see to you, Weasley, we will get you _good.

_Just give us a little time._

* * *

Ginny returned to the Gryffindor Tower, with Pansy's wand concealed in her robes. She didn't trust any Slytherin to do as they were asked without something being in it for them, and so wherever she went, Pansy Parkinson's wand would go.

Seating herself close to the fire, Ginny reached into her pocket and produced her diary. Flicking through it, she saw with satisfaction that everything written inside had stayed written. _No dead people haunting _this _diary._

She opened it to the next blank page, marked by a small quill - an idea taken from Luna - and started writing down what had happened with Pansy.

_I asked Pansy Parkinson to find Tom's diary for me. I know she'll do it - she won't get her wand back until I have the diary, until I can prove to myself that it's not going to hurt me again, until I can put all this behind me._

_I was surprised how easily Pansy gave in. I think she's up to something, but how can I find out? I can never trust a Slytherin, after all. She may just have been offended that I told her what I'd do to her already ugly face if she didn't help me. But she shouldn't have called my idea ridiculous... how else am I meant to find... what was the word Hermione keeps using on the subject? Closure? A Muggle concept, granted, but it seems to make sense._

_This has haunted me since the end of the first year. Now that I have this diary, now that I know Harry and Ron and Hermione won't be around to save me again, it's come back stronger than ever. I _need_ to know._

Ginny placed the quill inside the diary and snapped it shut, pocketing it. Why didn't wizards use psychology? she wondered. Or maybe they did, and had different words to the Muggles. No matter, it was Hermione who had taught her of it, and since she was a Muggleborn, it was the Muggle terms she used.

And since she didn't want to be a Healer, she'd have no use for it anyway. She wanted to go into Charms, and Professor Flitwick had already told her that she'd succeed. In fact, he had confided in her, he would be retiring at the end of the year, and would leave a message with Professor Dumbledore that she was to take his place when she herself left Hogwarts. Ginny stretched out, and swung her feet over the arm of the chair, watching as the portrait opened and Ron came through, followed closely by Harry, and finally Hermione.

'Ron, take your things upstairs,' ordered Hermione, sinking into an armchair close to Ginny. 'And Harry, you can take yours too. Pack them somewhere safe.'

'I'll do it later.' Harry dumped a pile of packages down next to Hermione, ruffled Ginny's hair, and threw himself across a settee. 'Right now I need a drink, I'm parched.'

'Drink? Harry, you had four Butterbeers, at least!' Ginny raised an eyebrow at Hermione's exclamation.

'Four?' she questioned, but Ron, sitting on the arm of her chair, spoke over her.

'Madam Rosmerta didn't seem too happy that we'd be leaving,' he said with a grin. Harry and Hermione snorted with laughter.

'That's because she still hasn't figured out how we do it.' Harry gave a cheeky grin. 'We get into Hogsmeade past all the wards and walls and guards of Hogwarts.'

'You could probably get away with just walking out,' muttered Ginny, unheard as the trio burst out laughing again. 'You're the Boy Who Lived.'

'Sorry, Ginny, did you say something?' Harry wiped tears of mirth from his eyes and focused his slightly unsteady gaze on Ginny.

'Maybe we shouldn't have had that Firewhisky,' said Ron reflectively. 'I think it went to your head, mate.'

'Maybe.' Harry grinned again, and closed his eyes. Ginny stood calmly.

'I'm going for a walk. I'll see you later.' _Because I'm fed up of being ignored._ Waving a goodbye, she left the common room and headed for the Library.

_Anywhere's better than being ignored by_ them_ all the time,_ she thought angrily, taking the stairs two at a time. Her red hair flew out behind her as she sprinted down the nearest corridor, not looking where she was going, or caring; trying to pretend she didn't care when she was overlooked. A scream built up inside her, and as she reached a spiralling set of stairs, as she sprinted up to the Astronomy Tower, she let it loose, and screamed with all the ferocious rage of a banshee.

_Don't ignore me!_

* * *

Pansy took a deep, calming breath, and went in search of Draco. She had cursed at a series of bugs, books, and Hufflepuffs, wishing them into oblivion, flames, and driving them to tears. It had succeeded in making her feel less humiliated by Weasley, and now she had to exact her revenge.

_If she wants Riddle's diary, I can provide it. She's wrong, it won't make her feel better. It'll make her feel worse. She'll write in it, and nothing will respond, and she'll become crazy. It's perfect, and she handed it to me on a plate!_

'Raptus Regaliter,' she said to the stone wall that protected the Slytherin Common Room. It slid open slowly, and she made her way down the dark stone steps.

'Zabini, Nott,' she acknowledged as she made her way through her fellow Slytherins. 'Bulstrode.' They nodded briefly, and returned to their books, chess game, and packing. 'Have you seen Malfoy?'

'Try up in the dorm,' gestured Blaise. Pansy smiled briefly in thanks and headed for the stairs leading to the male dormitory.

'Draco?' she called. His voice, as snide and arrogant as ever, floated back to her:

'What do you want, Parkinson?'

'You have something I want.' With Ginny Weasley's face imprinted firmly in her mind, Pansy smirked. 'And I can give you something you've been wanting for ages.' She stopped outside the door. It swung open slowly, calculatingly, and Draco's unforgiving grey eyes looked out.

'What can you give me?' he asked. Pansy smiled evilly, and stepped inside.

'Weasley's downfall.'

* * *

The owl tapped on the window at close to midnight. Ginny jumped up from her seat and ran to let it in. She was alone in the common room, with just her diary to keep her occupied. She had spent the past hour complaining how she needed to forget about the diary, about how she needed to forget about the events of her fifth year in the Department of Mysteries, how she needed to get out of Hogwarts.

It was a handsome eagle owl, and it fluttered gracefully onto a cluttered table as she threw open the window. It held a small package and a letter. Ginny took the letter first.

_Weasley,_

_Here. Now return my wand._

_Pansy.___

Her heart skipped a beat. _It's here. His diary is here._ And as she relieved the owl of the package, as she fixed Pansy's wand to its leg and instructed it to return to Pansy, she knew that closure was just an excuse.

She just had to see it again. He wouldn't be in it, of course he wouldn't - Harry destroyed him in the Chamber - but her burning desire to see Tom, to see the diary that had cared for her and loved her when she was isolated - even if it was a pretence - she needed the comfort.

Ginny picked up her own diary, held the delivery from Pansy close to her chest, and ran up the stairs to her room. Once she was safely in bed, once she had total privacy, she would open it.

_Not before. Save it._

And within seconds, it seemed, she was in bed, with her diary sitting in her lap, a fresh new entry added.

_It's here. Pansy did it. I knew she would. I've got it again - the one thing that made my first year tolerable, even if it did possess me. Now I don't know what to do._

_If I see it, and Tom isn't there, then I'll know it's safe. If he _is _there - and I won't be checking - then I'll never be able to get over my first year, my fears._

_Do I want to?_

She watched as the ink dried. When she was sure it wouldn't smudge, she set the small red book aside and carefully picked up Pansy's dark gift - Tom Riddle's diary.

Ripping the paper off it, she stared hungrily as the familiar black cover was revealed. The hole in the centre was missing. Evidently Lucius Malfoy, or whichever Death Eater had been entrusted with its care, had repaired it.

Ginny cautiously opened the diary, smiling briefly as the pages that had been her closest friend once again opened up to her, inviting her to write inside it.

_Once won't hurt. Just to see if he's gone or not... How else am I going to find out?_

Hesitating for a second, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, Ginny reached for her quill. And now she knew that she didn't want Tom to be gone. She wanted his confidence, his familiar presence, his love. She wanted him to be there. His words, his advice, his soft whispers... _I love you, Ginny. Do you love me? Will you help me become real?_ and her responses... _Yes! I want you here with me, Tom. I love you too._

Not even Luna had understood that what had passed between them was more than a Slytherin's manipulation. He _loved_ her, he truly loved her, and she loved him more than anything else.

She bit the end of her quill thoughtfully, before placing the tip to the paper.

_Hello Tom. It's me, Ginny Weasley._

The blue ink shone, shrunk, and was absorbed. New words formed on the page.

_I knew you'd be back._

* * *

... dun dun dun!

Part three will be uploaded sometime soon. Did you spot the Jabberwocky references? And the other challenge criteria slipped in? Tell me what they were, and virtual cookies to all who get them right next chapter!


	3. Part Three

**

* * *

Disclaimer:** Ditto previous two parts. I own some of the spells used, but credit for them goes to my Beta and Latin speaker, Cyropi.

Last part is here - and the rating has to be put up. Because the muses were cruel. You'll hate me for it, so all I have to say is:  
  
It's meant to be nasty! That's why it's Gin'n'Toxin not Gin'n'Tonic!

Breaks indicate a change of scene OR POV. POV only for the last few pages.

**Thanks for reviewing:** fcuking cathy, addicted..., Aliesha, Jenn, animal luvr, Q, paradox01, cashew, Yoshi-fan2003, Riddled-Slytherin, Lani x2, kittybro, and Serenity Cosmos Riddle. Loff you all, you rock

paradox01 - I never read that interview -shame- Don't worry, my Betae shouted at me extensively, and so I apologise for my idiocy.

cashew - ... somehow I doubt they'll be IC after this. Strange pairings rock. Thank you for your nice longer-than-average review :)

So... here's the rest...

* * *

The next morning came early, bringing with it more rain. Once again, Harry, Ron and Hermione were awake before the sun rose, sitting around a small table. Harry's hand was rubbing his forehead thoughtfully, residual pain from his throbbing scar tainting his face.

'Five minutes,' Ron was saying. 'Five minutes, and if she's not down, we go.' His stomach growled loudly in agreement.

'Alright,' replied Harry, his green eyes alert, but stained with tiredness and worry. Next to him, Hermione was biting her lip anxiously.

'Harry, your scar hasn't hurt for ages,' she said in a whisper for what seemed like the tenth time that morning. 'And last night, you were screaming because of it. We should go and see Dumbledore. Ginny'll understand if we don't wait for her.'

'We'll go and see him later.' Harry's tone was final. 'And since Ginny doesn't seem to want to wake up any time soon, we'll go and eat breakfast now instead of waiting.'

'Yes!' Ron punched the air, victorious, and sprinted for the portrait hole. Harry followed, laughing at Ron's antics, and Hermione sighed. _Maybe it was nothing_ she thought, unconvinced, and walked sedately after Harry and Ron.

The Common Room was empty, with almost all of the Gryffindors in the Great Hall for breakfast. Light footsteps echoed around the tower, and Ginny Weasley made her way down the steps.

She seemed to be standing taller than usual, prouder, and much more graceful. Her hair fell around her face and shoulders, poker straight thanks to a useful charm. Her eyes, normally brown, had a darker, redder, manic tint.

'Welcome to _my_ world, Harry Potter.'

Listening briefly to the echoes made by her deeper-than-usual voice, Ginny left the Common Room, her wand held in front of her, hissing under her breath. Inside Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and deep inside the Chamber, an air of excitement, anticipation, recognition stirred.

* * *

'Why are we going again?' asked Ron for the hundredth time as the trio climbed a large staircase. His excuse of hunger having gone, he resorted to whining.

'To say goodbye to Myrtle,' replied Hermione in exasperation. 'After all, she has helped us a lot. With the Chamber of Secrets, and with the second TriWizard task, and last year when Dennis Creevey broke his leg on the stairs.'

'Yeah, and she's spied on us when we've been bathing,' grumbled Ron, dragging his feet as they neared Myrtle's bathroom. 'And she's wailed until our ears exploded.'

'Have your ears exploded?' asked Harry with interest. Ron glared at Harry.

'Close, mate. Close.' Ron shivered. 'All those times when she's started crying - they've almost killed my hearing.'

'Oh, don't be such a baby, Ron,' Hermione replied briskly. 'We're only going to say goodbye. Because we're _leaving_, Ron, that means you never have to hear her again if you don't want to.' At this, Ron cheered up.

'Well, what are we waiting for?' he asked, striding ahead to the bathroom door. 'Let's get this over and done with.' He pushed the door open and walked in with a cheery, 'Hello, Myrtle!'

A loud wailing came from the bathroom. Ron winced, and walked back out.

'See?' he mouthed desperately, clasping his hands over his ears. Hermione exchanged a worried glance with Harry, and stepped forward into the bathroom.

'Myrtle!' she called over the wailing. 'Myrtle, what's wrong?'

'Come to make fun of me again?' cried the ghost for the hundredth time since their first meeting six years ago. 'Come to make poor old Moaning Myrtle feel just, just miserable!' She sniffed and rubbed her eyes, sitting on a sink. 'Because I'm _dead!_' She began wailing again.

'Harry,' whispered Ron, so that Myrtle wouldn't hear. 'D'you think she was meant to be a banshee instead of a ghost?'

'I heard that!' snapped Hermione, in unison with Myrtle. 'What's wrong, Myrtle?' added Hermione gently. Myrtle gave a melodramatic cry, and her sullen face turned towards them.

'You're just as nasty as she is!' she accused. 'You don't care about me! You just want to use _my_ bathroom for mixing potions and hiding with your _girlfriends_ and not to see _me!_'

'Myrtle!' snapped Ron, cutting off the ghost before she had a chance to begin crying again. 'What's wrong?'

'You Gryffindors, you're all the same,' said the ghost mournfully. 'None of you care about poor old Myrtle, stuck in bathrooms! You just pass straight through, insulting the poor old ghost who only told you that your hair looked like a radish!'

'Who passed through?' asked Hermione, instantly alert. Harry turned to stare at her, confused, before the ghost's words hit him. _Pass straight through..._

'Your sister!' shrieked Myrtle, this time with anger, at Ron. 'Your sister came through to go chase her fancy boy down in that trap!' With a trembling, translucent finger, she jabbed at the end sink.

The one with a snake carved into one tap.

The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets.

* * *

This time, the footsteps clicked on the smooth floor as a figure clad in Gryffindor robes moved about the Chamber, familiarising herself with the room once more. It had been _so long_ since she had been here... Every now and then a delicate hand would reach out and touch one of the snake statues, or rest on the ominous figure of Salazar Slytherin at the end of the Chamber. The air seemed restless, excited, and occasionally a soothing word would be murmured. To calm herself, of course; all traces of the Basilisk had long disappeared.

After a few moments, she settled down between the feet of the large statue, resting her head - which, no matter what Moaning Myrtle said, did _not_ resemble a radish - against Salazar's body. Five years ago, she had been left here to die, alone in the chamber, watching as a memory came to life. Now _she_ was in control. Her sharp eyes flickered around the large room, before focusing on the large door at the opposite end.

And she waited.

* * *

The tiny carving glittered as Harry tilted his head from side to side, willing the snake to look alive.

'Harry, shouldn't we fetch Dumbledore?' asked Hermione nervously, having never been down in the Chamber before. Harry shook his head.

'That just wastes time. We've got to get to Ginny and find out what's wrong.' Harry studied the tap again, and said, 'Open.'

'English,' said both Ron and Hermione automatically. 'Try again,' encouraged Hermione.

'Yeah, otherwise we'll have all the professors breathing down our necks,' warned Ron. Hermione stared at him.

'What?' he asked defensively. 'You don't really think that Dumbledore would leave it unwatched after the first time?'

'You're right,' agreed Hermione, looking a little less nervous. 'Try again, Harry.'

Harry nodded tersely and focused on the small snake carved into the side of the tap. He thought of fighting the Basilisk in his second year, of the snake at the zoo with Dudley before he knew that Hogwarts existed, and this time when he said 'Open' a low, steady hissing came from his mouth. The tap shone brightly, spinning, sinking, and the pipe opened up before them.

'Well done mate!' said Ron, pushing past Harry to be the first to jump into the pipe. 'Come on!' he called up. 'We've got to find Ginny!'

Harry motioned for Hermione to go down, and gathering her robes around her, Hermione followed Ron down the pipe. Harry turned to stare at Moaning Myrtle, who had watched them with silent interest.

'Go and tell Dumbledore,' he said quietly before jumping after Ron and Hermione. The way down was just as dank and dark as he remembered, and at every corner he hit the wall brutally before carrying on. The myriad of pipes around him stretched out in all directions, and as the way ahead sloped even steeper, he held his breath, trying to ignore the slime that now covered his robes. And now he could see a tiny change in the light ahead. And now he could hear their voices, Hermione's worried tone slightly higher than Ron's. And now the pipe levelled out, and he hit the floor in a slimy, muddy, breathless, slightly dazed heap at their feet.

'Are you okay?' asked Hermione nervously as he got to his feet. Harry nodded briefly, and pulled out his wand.

'_Lumos_,' he said, and the light from his wand joined Ron's and Hermione's, illuminating part of the darkness ahead. The tunnel seemed slightly lower than he remembered - of course, he mentally chided, he'd grown a lot since his second year. The floor was muddy, with large puddles scattered along its length, and the shadows flickered menacingly on the dark, damp walls.

'Let's go,' he ordered, his voice echoing around the tunnel. 'We've got to find Ginny.'

'I don't know what's got into her,' said Ron miserably after a few minutes of walking. 'She's been acting funny all week.'

'Maybe I shouldn't have made her the diary,' Hermione remarked, just as dejected, as they turned a corner. 'She would have had to speak to us then.'

'She doesn't speak to us anyway. She always speaks to Loony,' complained Ron, kicking aside a rat's skull. 'It's because I'm a lousy brother-'

'Oh shut up,' said Harry finally. 'We don't even know if it was her, or if Myrtle was making it up. We don't know what's wrong, and we can't blame ourselves. So there's no point in being miserable, understand?' He stopped and faced them both, reiterating his last few words grimly. 'There's no point in being so depressed.'

Ron shuffled his feet guiltily, making an odd squelching noise, and despite the seriousness of the situation, the trio burst out laughing. Harry leant against the wall to support himself, ridding himself of his tension. _After all, Ginny's not going to make any stupid mistakes, is she?_

* * *

Their laugh reached her ears, even here, deep in the heart of the Chamber. A slow smirk spread across her face as she realised that they were close, coming ever closer. Her whole body was trembling with suppressed excitement, small laughs escaping her every now and then. _She_ was close. Before, she had failed. Now, with them wandering, completely unknowingly, into her trap... Now she would _win_. She would stand over their broken bodies and laugh, knowing that she had done what nobody else had ever been able to do.

Her hand clenched tightly around her wand, and her other hand reached for her pocket. A corner of Tom Riddle's diary gleamed as she reached for it, bringing it out, opening the pages.

She put the quill delicately to the page, her neat writing being absorbed as she wrote taunts, threats, and received helpless pleas in response. _Please let me out, please don't keep me here, I can help you, please, let me go, I love you_.

And this time she couldn't control her laughter, as the sheer thrill of having the power she now held went to her head, and her high-pitched, manic laughs shook the very dust from the ceiling of the Chamber, echoed down the tunnel, and froze the Golden Trio to their bones.

* * *

'What was that?' The three spun around, wands raised, as echoes of cold, cruel laughter reached them, sending shivers down their spines.

'Dunno.' Ron's voice had a nervous tremor to it. 'You don't think it could be...?' His voice trailed off, and with a cry of '_Ginny!_' he sprinted down the tunnel, followed closely by Harry and Hermione. They ran down the dark tunnel, all shadows fleeing before the light from their wand, ignoring the mud that splashed up onto their robes and faces. Taking the last corner at a sprint, they hurtled into the stone wall at the end, unable to slow down in time.

'Ginny!' Ron pounded on the wall, staring in a strange mixture of fear and anger at the large serpent statues that were carved across the wall, their large emerald eyes glinting as his wand jerked sharply with his hand.

'Open it!' he ordered as the other two straightened up, struggling for breath. Harry nodded, taking deep, gasping breaths to steady his voice. He motioned for Ron to stand behind him with Hermione, and stared the serpents in the eyes.

'_Open_.' A guttural hissing replaced the words, and the serpents obediently parted the wall, sliding out of their sight. The three simultaneously held their breath, and entered the Chamber of Secrets.

* * *

She jumped slightly as the entrance opened. Finally, they were here! They were here to _rescue_ her, straight into her trap from their own idiocy and weakness.

She brushed a strand of vibrant red hair from her face, tense with excitement and anticipation, and adjusted her position to make herself more comfortable. Now she no longer had to worry. They had come, and they were hers.

* * *

Holding their wands high, the three Gryffindors made their way forward. There were serpents everywhere, entwined around the pillars that supported a ceiling that couldn't be seen. The serpents stared down, almost eagerly, hungrily, as, led by Harry, they slowly walked through the dimly lit chamber. The light had a green tint to it, and Hermione inched closer to the two boys. Harry's face was set, emotionless. It was just how he remembered it.

Their footsteps echoed around the chamber, and their nervous, ragged breaths sounded like the eerie hissing of Parseltongue in the cold air as they reached the end of the pillars. The statue of Salazar Slytherin came into view, and although Harry had seen it before, he felt a jolt in his stomach, mirrored by Hermione's gasp and Ron's whisper of 'Bloody hell' as the giant face stared blankly down the length of the chamber.

And as Harry looked towards the feet, nervousness coiling around his heart and clenching it tightly, he met the cold, amused, cruel brown eyes of Ginny Weasley.

'Hello Harry,' she said calmly, her tone mocking. 'Surprise.'

'Ginny!' spluttered Ron, his apprehension dissipating. 'What on earth are you doing down here? You've had us all worried sick!'

Ginny didn't move her gaze from Harry's. 'You have every right to be worried,' she said with a smirk. 'In fact, I'd prefer it.'

'Prefer it?' Bewilderment etched itself across Ron's face. 'Gin, what're you on about?'

'What's wrong, Ginny?' asked Hermione, stepping forward slightly in concern. Ginny finally tore her gaze away from Harry's confused emerald stare, and laughed. It started small, a little giggle as she met Hermione's worried face, rising to a manic crescendo as she finally fixed her gaze on Ron's baffled expression.

'Ginny?' asked Hermione carefully, stepping forward to put a hand on her shoulder. 'Ginny, are you-'

The rest of her question was lost as Ginny put her wand to Hermione's stomach and whispered in tones laced with venom: '_Crucio_.'

* * *

They didn't know. They didn't suspect a thing. And toying with them was getting boring. She delighted at their confusion. So when Hermione stepped forward, close enough to choke, to see the fear in her eyes as she died, there was only one thing to do.

And for the first few seconds, as Hermione's screams of pain and horror kept rising until they were loud enough and high enough to pierce eardrums, both Harry and Ron were stunned, almost as if she had petrified them, not knowing what to do. She knew what they were thinking. _But this is _Ginny!

And after what seemed like an eternity to them, and to Hermione, writhing in agony on the floor, but was only a few seconds, Harry dashed forward, fury lining his face and emanating from him. And his arm swung up, quickly, furiously, and came into contact with her cheek.

And Hermione's screams died down, and the two boys gathered their in their arms, talking gently, urging Hermione to stay conscious, staring in anger and confusion as she laughed elatedly, the screams still ringing in her ears.

* * *

Harry cradled Hermione in his arms as Ron held her hands, urging her to stay awake, answering her mumbled apologies with tears in his voice. The last time she'd been this helpless was when she'd been Petrified in their second year.

'What the _hell_?' he snarled at Ginny, making sure his wand was aimed at her. Ginny shrugged, and giggled in the manner of schoolgirls everywhere.

'Nothing,' she said in a singsong voice that grated across his nerves. 'Nothing at _all_.' She skipped around them, her face lit up by her delight and excitement at seeing Hermione under the Cruciatus.

'Harry, I think she's lost her mind,' whispered Ron, gesturing at Ginny, who was now swinging around one of the large pillars, laughing. Harry shrugged, despair starting to show.

'Maybe you should take Hermione back,' he whispered, ignoring Hermione's struggled cry of 'no!' mingled with her gasps as she fought for breath, twitching with residual pain.

'No.' Ron was defiant. 'She's my sister, Harry. I want to be here. And Hermione doesn't want to leave either.'

'Fine.' Harry gave Hermione a brief hug, and stood up. 'Stay here with her. Look after her. I'm going to find out what's got into Ginny.' With Ron's worried eyes fixed on his back, he walked steadily over to the now singing redhead.

'Ginny!' he called as she walked past him, giddy from the success of her Cruciatus. 'Why are you here?'

She slowed, and spun around to face him, a cold beauty in her face as her cruel eyes fixed on Harry. 'Because it's home,' she said with glee. 'It's home, and I'm home.'

'Home?' Harry's brow wrinkled as he tried to understand her words, until he saw her drawing something from her pocket. He heard Ron's startled cry, and Hermione's demands to know what was going on, and as Ginny waved the object, his blood froze.

'She's got,' started Ron quietly, for Hermione's benefit. 'She's got Riddle's diary. And it's been fixed.'

* * *

At last they were getting somewhere! She waved the diary around, smirking at the shock that was almost tangible in the air. Now they would know to fear her. Now she was winning.

'_Close_,' she hissed in Parseltongue, and the entrance to the chamber slowly moved together, a slight grinding noise as they slammed shut. The light in the chamber was halved, and all she could see - all she wanted to see - of Harry's face was the horror in his famous eyes.

This time, they would not escape. Harry Potter was hers.

* * *

Harry's mind raced. _Riddle's diary?!_ How had she got it back? Was Riddle still inside? And they most important question... _what had Ginny done?_

'You recognise this, don't you Harry?' asked Ginny, and only now did they notice that her voice was deeper than it had been before. 'You know what this can do.'

'Where did you get it?' he asked in hushed tones. Ginny threw it to him, and he stretched forward to catch it before it hit the floor.

'Why not take a look?' she taunted as he held the diary tentatively, as if it were poison. 'Write something.' She threw a quill at his feet, and Harry picked it up.

'Write,' she said again, and this time there was an edge to her voice that made him think twice about throwing the quill back. He opened the diary slowly, and, glancing up at Ginny, he put the quill to the paper.

'There's enough ink for you to write something,' she said as he hesitated. 'Write.' Harry stared at Ginny, and wrote,

_Hello. My name is Harry Potter._

Just like the first thing he'd ever written in the diary. And like then, the ink glistened, was absorbed, and fresh words appeared.

_Harry! You've got to help me! It's me, it's Ginny, help me, please!_

With a cry of horror, Harry threw the diary down, and leapt for the smirking girl in front of him. His wand was forgotten; he just wanted to hurt her, hurt _him_, hurt Tom Riddle, make him pay... He knocked Ginny to the floor, shaking her angrily, and her laughter and encouragement fuelled his anger. He kept shaking her, wanting to try and shake whatever had possessed her out, bring back Ginny, and only the strong arms around him that pulled him back and threw him away was enough to stop him.

'Harry, what the hell are you doing?' demanded Ron, standing protectively in front of Ginny. His wand was raised, ready to keep his friend away from Ginny. Harry gave an animalistic snarl and clenched his own fists.

'That's not Ginny!' he yelled, and Ron's face became blank. 'Ginny's in the diary! That's who answered me when I wrote! It's Tom, it's Tom Riddle, it must be!'

'_What_?' Ron spun around to face Ginny, who smiled innocently up at him. 'You- you- you're _Tom Riddle_?!'

'Oh dear,' said Ginny mournfully. 'You caught me out.' She picked up the diary and slipped it back into her pocket. 'But I should thank you, Ron. If you and your friends hadn't been so self-absorbed, Ginny would never have come running back to me.'

Ron backed away from Ginny, falling backwards as he slid on the quill that Harry had dropped, his face ashen. 'No, I never...' He reached out, and found Hermione's trembling but comforting hand. Clasping it tightly, he stared up at Harry for reassurance.

'It's not your fault, Ron. Some Slytherin must have forced her into it.' Harry glared at Ginny- no, Tom Riddle, wishing that he could somehow have the powers of the Basilisk, that Riddle would just drop dead and leave Ginny alone.

'Have you spoken to the Slytherins lately?' asked Ginny casually, twirling her wand idly. 'Maybe you should, Harry. Because Ginny Weasley, poor pathetic Ginny Weasley went to them, begging for me, begging to have me back. She invited me here, Potter, she gave me her body, and you can't reverse the spell.'

At this, Harry dropped to the floor, barely hearing Hermione's cry as she found her voice again. _Can't reverse it?_ he thought desperately. _No! It's a lie, we'll get her back!_

This moment was all that was needed.

* * *

'_Expelliarmus!_'

Three wands flew through the air, caught neatly by her hand, and she slipped them into her pocket. Harry leapt to his feet, but swiftly she pointed her wand and yelled '_Petrificus totalus!',_ freezing him before he could reach her. He fell to the floor, arms and legs rigid, and hatred radiating from him. Using _mobilicorpus_, she propped him up against a pillar, laughing as she stared into his angry eyes, which held an unspoken promise: _you'll regret this_.

She smirked. 'No, Harry, I will not regret this. _You_ will regret not dying the last time we met.' And she moved slowly, in the manner of a predator circling its prey, towards Ron and Hermione, her wand drawn.

'Who wants to go first?'

And Harry could only watch helplessly as Ginny turned her wand on Ron, and whispered, with a glance at him, 'Crucio.'

* * *

Ron was curled up in a foetal position, shaking with the force of his suppressed cries, twitching and trembling as Ginny cast the Cruciatus over and over again, trying to make him scream. His face was an odd colour - red with the force of will it took him to keep quiet, and white with pain. As Ginny kicked him back, cast Cruciatus for the third time, he cracked, and his loud, hoarse yells filled Harry's ears, resounded in his head, and sparked a murderous rage to course through his veins. Ginny laughed, as she had done with Hermione, and lowered her wand.

'Pathetic,' she spat, staring at Harry. 'Do you see how pathetic they are, Potter? How they can't stand up to me? Do you see how this will end?' And of course, Harry couldn't move, only watch as second by agonising second dragged by, as Ron's body slumped, as Ginny lifted her wand again, this time to say, clearly enough for Harry to hear, 'Imperio.'

'Get to your feet,' Ginny commanded, and Ron slowly, jerkily, as if he was trying to fight, got to his feet.

'Ron!' Hermione cried, frightened of what Ginny was going to do. 'Ron, fight it, throw it off!'

Ron's vacant stare passed over Hermione, and if Harry had been able to, he would have shuddered. Instead a cold weight settled in his chest. _What is Tom going to do?_

Ginny flicked her wand towards Hermione, and with the same jerky movements, slowing every time he tried to throw it off, Ron moved towards Hermione. Harry watched his friend scramble backwards, calling, begging, pleading for Ron to throw it off. But they all knew the after-effects of Cruciatus, and knew that it was useless...

Her back was against a pillar. She was effectively cornered, and an internal yell shook Harry's petrified frame as Ron's sluggish form grasped her shoulders, picked her up, and threw her back to the floor, violently, a loud crack sounding as Hermione twisted, falling on her wrist. Ron moved forward again, more purposefully, and Harry knew that Ginny had gained total control of him.

'Ron,' commanded Ginny as Ron pinned Hermione down. With a cold, heartless look to Harry, she smiled, knowing what would break him.

'Rape her.'

* * *

'Fight it off!' screamed Hermione as Ginny uttered her next command. 'Fight it off, Ron, throw off the Imperius, stop, don't hurt me!' His blank face covered hers, and his lips were pressed harshly against hers, forcing her head back, hitting the floor until she was dizzy. 'Ron, stop! Don't listen to her!' He grabbed her robes, and a loud tearing sound filled the air. Ginny started laughing.

'No! Don't! Please, Ron, don't do this, don't hurt me!' Harry's eyes were agonized, murderous, heartbroken. 'Get off me!' She was pushing him away, a shooting pain in her wrist, and he met her gaze as he brutally forced her arm back, and another loud crack was heard. 'Please! No!' She felt the cold, damp air against her skin, and then Ron's face obscured her vision, and then her tears flooded her eyes. 'Please! _Stop!_' Ginny was closer, and Ron's lips were against her skin, obeying Tom Riddle's every command. Pain was shooting through her, from her head; now bleeding from where it had been hit so much, to - 'No! _Ron!_' - down her arms, most definitely broken by the struggle, and straight through to her core as Ginny's whispered orders grew more rapid and - 'Hurt her, Ron, make her scream, make her beg for death' - cruel, and Harry's eyes, that she knew were sharing her pain and - '_Stop!_' - more, were blocked from view, and all she could see was - '_Please!_' - Ron's empty blue eyes, that she knew would hold so much remorse once the curse was removed.

And now she had no more words, and the pain was intense, and she began to scream.

* * *

The blissful fog that had enveloped his mind started to clear. He was sitting on the floor. Someone was crying. Someone else was laughing...

Ginny. No, Tom. Tom Riddle was laughing. Who was crying?

'Well done, Ronniekins,' teased Ginny- no, he amended quickly, Riddle. Not his sister. 'I couldn't have done it better myself.'

Done what?

And now the fog had completely cleared, and his mind was frantically trying to figure out what had happened. The last thing he remembered was being put under the Cruciatus, and screaming, screaming enough to bring down the walls of Hogwarts...

Screaming... Someone had been screaming.

He opened his eyes, and a sobbing, bruised and battered Hermione came into vision. She was struggling to hide her torn and dishevelled clothes with her robes... how had they got that way?

And then he was allowed to remember, and the force of what he had done jolted an explosion of nonsensical curses and apologies from his mouth, coupled with threats, remorse, hatred of Tom Riddle, of Ginny, of himself, his weakness, unable to fight his own sister.

Where had Ginny gone?

He reached forward tentatively, trying to put his hand on Hermione's shoulder, noticing the blood that matted her hair - but she jerked back, still sobbing, trembling as she tried to remain conscious.

'Don't touch me!'

'Hermione,' he whispered, filled with horror and self-loathing, but she whimpered as he tried to hug her, and a defeated look came into her eyes. He watched as she closed her eyes, her body shuddering as it gave up its struggle, and leapt to his feet as Hermione fell into unconsciousness, her bushy hair sticking to her face and leaving streaks of blood across it.

'Hermione...' Tears came to his eyes, and he closed his eyes tightly to hold them back. Not now. He had to get revenge, he had to hurt Tom Riddle, Tom who had stolen his sister and petrified his best friend and made him _rape_ his other best friend damn it 'I'm not going to stand for it!' he hissed, getting to his feet. 'I'm not going to let you do this! I'll kill you!'

* * *

He was pathetic, pitiful, and he was trying to challenge him? Tom laughed, and Ginny laughed too, her voice echoing.

'How can you duel me with no wand?' she asked mockingly, her voice filtering through the cloud of rage that had descended on Ron's mind and having no effect as Ron rushed forward, knocking her over, fighting to reach his wand....

'_Metacarpae__ frango!_'

... and yelling in pain as a series of snaps came from his hand, and it dangled uselessly, every bone broken, and he lifted his other hand and raged forward again-

- '_Poplitem__ succido!_' -

- and he was collapsing, sharp pains in his legs, feeling the muscles tearing, left useless.

'Seca.' And now a large slash appeared across his arm, blood spurting from the cut, and she couldn't stop saying spells. 'Incendio!' and his robes were on fire, his back was burning and he was screaming hoarsely, and '_Crucio_!' the final spell, and he was rolling around, his injured limbs hindering more than helping, the fire extinguished on the cold floor, the screams reaching fever pitch-

and he was unconscious, broken.

Ginny smiled. Only one left.

* * *

The very second that Ginny removed the curse, Harry jumped forward, fully intent on strangling her. Wands? He didn't need them, he was going to kill Tom, he was going to kill him for hurting Ron and Hermione so, for taking over Ginny, for all the hurt and pain and torture and suffering and _he was going to pay_ and his hands were around her neck and her eyes met his and for a moment he saw Ginny, not Tom, and he let go...

'What are you doing, Potter? Too cowardly to kill me?' rasped Ginny, rubbing her throat. 'I should have known.'

'Give me my wand,' ordered Harry in a low voice, anger and hatred and power radiating from him, a biting edge to his voice, and not even Tom Riddle dared disobey. The wands were thrown high into the air, and Harry rolled sideways, avoiding the whispered curse thrown by Ginny, and he caught his wand. The other two wands fell to the floor some distance away, and rolling again, this time to dodge the Cruciatus intended for him and get to his feet, he managed to cast a shield around him before Ginny's cry of 'Seca!' sounded.

'Very good, Potter,' said Ginny, and Harry's mind heard the frantic noises in the bathroom above them, and he prayed that someone was coming to help. He knew that if no one came... he'd have to fight to the death.

_Please don't let it come to that._

'Furnunculus!' he yelled, reluctant to use stronger spells, for this was still Ginny's body, possessed by Tom- and as a green light skimmed past him, barely missing him, and Ginny yelled 'Avada Kedavra!' for the second time, his anger took control.

'_Crucio!_' he roared, and this time it wasn't the failed curse of his fifth year: it was a jet of light, it was hitting Ginny, and she was on the floor, screaming in agony, and he wanted to hurt her, he wanted to kill her-

-his desperate mind heard footsteps pounding down the tunnel, and he knew what he had to do to prevent Tom Riddle ever coming back-

-and he whispered 'Avada Kedavra.'

The green light shot forward, straight and true, hitting her in the chest. She fell backwards, her wand falling from suddenly lifeless fingers, her face forever frozen in shock-

-and the door exploded, and he could hear the staff running across the chamber-

-and the diary fell from her pocket, and he picked it up and held it to him before it burst into flames-

-and there were cries as the stench of blood and violence and anguish and tears assaulted their senses-

-and he cradled Ginny's body in his arms, wishing Ron and Hermione were awake, wishing he knew what to do, wishing his life would end now, before he killed again, before he took the life of another friend-

-and Ginny's shocked, open eyes stared at the ceiling, not noticing when Harry started to cry, his tears falling onto her pale cheeks; not knowing when the professors took her body gently away, drifting after the stretchers carrying Ron and Hermione, not caring when her parents came to Hogwarts, cried over her body, clutched her to them with desperate pleas and questions and _why, Ginny, why did you do it?_

_Why?_

And Ginny's own diary, the small red book that had been her only confidante, lay hidden in the Gryffindor tower, holding all the answers to all of their questions and prayers and pitiful cries as they remembered her and wondered why: forgotten.

* * *

_Metacarpae__ frango_ means, roughly, 'break metacarpals' (those little bones in the hand.) _Poplitem__ succido_ is a spell to hamstring someone (yeesh, poor Ron) and _Seca_ is a much used spell in my ficcies (hee) meaning 'to cut.'

Don't hate me! runs for the hills I know it's nasty and horrible to the characters, but there may be a follow-up. Seriously. Which is less nasty. And if you kill me for being so horrible and nasty to the characters, you'll never know what happens next. And you want to know. Don't you?

-shouts back- I'll still be able to read all your reviews, so let me know what you think!


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